Beast the Primorial - The Bloodstained Brood - Ready-Made PCs

Credits Written by: Hayley Margules Developed by: Matthew McFarland Edited by: Dixie Cochran Creative Director: Richard Thomas Art by: Brian Leblanc Art Direction and Design: Mike Chaney Beast Character Sheet Design: Chris Leland Beast: The Primordial writers: Rose Bailey, Dave Brookshaw, Jim Fisher, Emily Griggs, Danielle Harper, Andrew Heston, David A Hill Jr, Dana Hughes, Matthew McFarland, Renee Ritchie, Travis Stout, Peter Woodworth, Sam Young

© 2016 White Wolf AB. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire, and Chronicles of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf AB. All rights reserved. Storytelling System, Vampire the Requiem, Mage the Awakening, Werewolf the Forsaken, Chronicles of Darkness, and Vampire the Requiem Second Edition are trademarks of White Wolf AB. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf AB. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised. Check out the Onyx Path online @ http:\\www.theonyxpath.com

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BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

You can’t choose your family. It’s a truism that Beasts often feel keenly. The Begotten, burdened as they are with endless hunger and a decidedly inhuman perspective, grow up among human beings. When they come together to form broods, they often find the process happens naturally. Their Horrors resonate, even if they don’t. They feel the bond of Kinship, even if they don’t always like one another. That’s family and, ask any Beast, it’s worth the trouble. The Bloodstained Brood started as a preventative, protective arrangement between Dr. Hannah Short, Malik Turner, and Ryan Gallagher. Three years into this arrangement, Neil joined, having just killed his first Hero, which both impressed and scared the other three. They allowed him to join their nascent brood, though Hannah grew resentful when he tried to claim the leadership role they now share. Some time later, Hannah began dating Maia, a physician’s assistant and Makara who worked with her at the same hospital. Maia joined the brood, the youngest member by nearly a decade. Maia also brought Annika, a young changeling, into the brood. Now, Malik and Ryan still share an apartment, but the other broodmates have since moved into the same building.

Neil and Hannah each live alone, Neil in the topmost apartment and Hannah just below his. Maia lives in an apartment with Annika and acts as her caretaker (fabricated papers make them adopted sisters). Neil watches Annika, who attends his school, during the day. The only shared space among all five Beasts is their brood Lair, which mirrors this columnlike organization. Blood trickles from Neil’s down to Maia’s, and up from Hannah’s, floating atop waves that turn to crashing icicles, repeating the cycle between their own Chambers and their broodmates’ in between. The blood stains the Beasts’ Horrors and Lairs, and gives the brood its name (though only Ryan habitually uses the appellation). The brood makes a point of never being seen all together for secrecy’s sake. They gather for protection, but they don’t want their Legends to control their lives, nor draw too much attention or too many questions. Broodmates tends to mind their own business when it comes to sating Hunger; they’ve primarily organized to provide a line of defense in the event a Hero finds them. So far, they have been lucky in this regard. For the most part, they have been able to continue living their own lives.

LAIR TRAITS Character

Starting Traits

Experienced Trait

Neil C. Walker III

Extreme Cold, Razored

Maze

Ryan Gallagher

Poor Light, Decayed

(None)

Maia Graham

Flooded, Mirages

Crushing

Dr. Hannah Short

Stench, Unstable

Corrosive

Malik Turner

Echoing, Exposed

(None)

the bloodstained brood

3

“Stop writing on your hand, this isn’t first grade.” “This is something I’m letting you do; don’t screw it up.” “I know you’ll be thinking about this through your two days of in-school suspension.” Legend: Merciless. Neil’s high standards used to only apply to him, but now, when someone in a position of power betrays the trust placed in them, he pounces. Life: Meticulous. Neil strives for perfection in every aspect of his daily life. He can’t stand being out of control, and lives by a tight schedule. Background: Neil always knew he was different. From the time he was three years old, he loved going to school. Not in the way that some of his classmates loved learning, or seeing their friends, or playing at recess, but he loved going to school. He loved getting on the bus at 7:02 a.m., and complained to his mother every Thursday when the bus was late. He loved watching teachers with chalkboards, and complained to the principal when he learned his middle school used whiteboards instead. Neil jumped at every opportunity to answer a question, and to solve problems on the board with chalk. In college, Neil majored in secondary education, with a specialization in mathematics. Though he never judged his friends for drinking or doing drugs, he valued staying in control too much to ever have more than one drink a night, maybe two on Friday. In graduate school, Neil studied math for educators, unwilling to gamble on a straight pursuance of what he referred to as Teacher School. When an oncologist found a tumor in his mother’s lung, everything changed. He lost his love for school, and his dreams became nightmares in which he was trapped behind sheets of ice, watching his mother, his professors, and everyone he cared about freeze and shatter. One night, Neil dreamed he was trapped at school, with a makeshift maze of locked doors determining every alternate path he took. The designated path led him through a jagged collection of rooms that were chilled, growing colder and colder the deeper into the building he moved. When he finally stopped to look behind him, an ice giant froze him in place, its icy claws ripping him apart before its head snapped down with jagged teeth to eat what was left. He realized the lesson of his dreams — inevitability. The cancer spread to his mother’s colon after she was declared cancer free, and she passed away much sooner than anyone expected. Neil took a week off for the funeral and time with family, and returned to school, pushing out

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BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

his work and his degree. This took a toll on his mental health from which he has never recovered. He still broods, though he tries to avoid the memory of stabbing that doctor with a scalpel for her failure to stop the cancer’s resurgence. Neil taught calculus for 10 years, and the school district promoted him to vice principal at 35 due to his classroom management and continuing education. He met Malik at a bar near the anniversary of his mother’s death. That same year, he found an email that implicated the principal of his school, Ari Sharpe, of working to fire a group of their best teachers for union activity. When he brought this evidence to the superintendent, Nancy Rodriguez, she fired and blacklisted Ari, promoting Neil to his position. It was one of Neil’s most satisfying feeds of his entire life. Still, he wanted more, and visited Ari at night, inflicting a nightmare to make him run and cower and hide. Too late, Neil realized the other man had become a Hero. Neil retreated into his Lair, but Ari followed behind, unprepared for the fight that led to his murder. Neil and his Horror tore the other man to shreds, the second corpse on Neil’s hands. After this experience, Neil felt the need to join a brood for protection and companionship, and tracked down Malik, who introduced him to Ryan and Hannah. Since then, Neil has held his dream job, with his true family close. Description: Principal Walker is a white man in his early 40s. His eyes are light blue, almost disappearing into his sclera. When Neil walks down the hallways of his school, he exudes a visible sense of purpose, with no wasted energy about his movements. Neil smells like his cologne, the same he’s worn every day since he started teaching. He always wears a suit and tie, rotating through the same five shirts every week, and wears

jeans with his shirt and tie on casual days. He only changes a shirt out of the rotation when it becomes irreparably stained with blood. Neil doesn’t make a lot of jokes, but when he does, they’re witty, subtle, and dry, not mean or sardonic. He saves his sardonicism for when he is abjectly serious. Neil’s Horror stands 11 feet tall, with formfitting sheets of ice surrounding his body. His every movement sends ice spindles flying in the air around him. When he moves, the pristine terror of being chased by an unstoppable giant sets in for those who dare violate the sanctity of his Lair. Neil’s Lair twists in a perverted winter wonderland, shards of ice almost like glass, dripping with the blood of former victims. It trails down the side of an icy cliff, leaking through the Chambers of his broodmates and mingling with blood they’ve spilled for themselves. Roleplaying Hints: Annika is a sophomore at Neil’s school. He’s asked teachers to let him know of any issues she faces, and keeps an eye on her during the school day. He tries not to draw attention to this, and is no harder nor easier on her than other students, should they meet for disciplinary reasons. He acts as though he’s a family friend, sometimes using students who have picked on her for one reason or another as an easy way to feed his Hunger less violently. When Annika gets in trouble, he sometimes tells Maia and sometimes does not. Neil likes being at the front of the classroom and at the front of the group. He thinks his age entitles him to be brood leader. He is willing to handle bookwork and planning if someone else is serving as leader, but sees all other work as beneath him. Aspirations: Long Term: To establish himself as brood leader. Short Term: To get drunk with company.

NEIL C. WALKER III

5

Family: Anakim Legend: Merciless Hunger: Punishment Life: Meticulous Concept: Overbearing Principal Horror: Ice creature

Name: Neil C. Walker III Player: Chronicle:

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Strength

●●● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

Resolve

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Mathematics ●●● Academics________ OOOOO Guessing Passwords ● Computer_________ OOOOO Crafts____________ ● OOOOO Investigation______● OOOOO Medicine_________● OOOOO Occult ___________● OOOOO Politics___________ ● ● OOOOO Science__________ ● OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________OOOOO Brawl____________● ● OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________● OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Empathy_________● OOOOO Expression________OOOOO Children Intimidation________ ●● OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Socialize_________● OOOOO Streetwise________ ● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Common Sense _________________ ●●● OOOOO Contacts (Academic) _________________ ● OOOOO Eidetic Memory _________________ ●● OOOOO

Eidetic Memory (Advanced) ● _________________ OOOOO Good Time Management ● _________________ OOOOO ● Status (School District) _________________ OOOOO ● _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

atavisms

Looming Presence ______________________ Mimir's Wisdom ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

nightmares

Run Away ______________________ You Must Obey ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

health ●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

satiety condition ______________________

conditions

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

aspirations

Become established leader of the brood (LT) ______________________ Get drunk in company (ST) ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

5 9 Size:______ Speed:______ 1 Defense:____ Armor:______ 3 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      Experiences:_____________

Family: Anakim Legend: Merciless Hunger: Punishment Life: Meticulous Concept: Overbearing Principal Horror: Ice creature

Name: Neil C. Walker III Player: Chronicle:

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Strength

●●● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

Resolve

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Mathematics ●●● Academics________ OOOOO Guessing Passwords ● Computer_________ OOOOO Crafts____________ ● OOOOO Investigation______● OOOOO Medicine_________● OOOOO Occult ___________● OOOOO Politics___________ ● ● OOOOO Science__________ ● OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________OOOOO Brawl____________● ● OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________● OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ ●● OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Empathy_________● OOOOO Expression________OOOOO Children Intimidation________ ●● OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Socialize_________● OOOOO Streetwise________ ● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Common Sense _________________ ●●● OOOOO Contacts (Academic) _________________ ● OOOOO Eidetic Memory _________________ ●● OOOOO

Eidetic Memory (Advanced) ● _________________ OOOOO Good Time Management ● _________________ OOOOO ● Status (School District) _________________ OOOOO ● _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

health ●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

atavisms

satiety condition

______________________ ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Looming Presence ______________________ Mimir's Wisdom ______________________ Unbreakable ______________________

nightmares

Run Away ______________________ You Must Obey ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

______________________

conditions

aspirations

Become established leader of the brood (LT) ______________________ Get drunk in company (ST) ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

5 9 Size:______ Speed:______ 1 Defense:____ Armor:______ 3 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      13 Experiences:_____________

“I got held up, I was in the middle of something.” “Look at that. Goddamn beautiful.” “School is overrated. Learn at work, I don’t care what anyone says. Including me.” Legend: Enigmatic. Ryan is unpredictable and flighty. His only stability comes from his dedication to the brood and to his work. Life: Appreciative. Ryan respects the mutual protection provided by the brood, and he wants to contribute in kind. He goes out of his way to respect the needs of his broodmates, insofar as he can with his unreliable nature. Background: Ryan finished high school, but he did not attend college. He considered trade school, and started a program he never finished. Ryan works as a stonemason on for-hire projects. He’s built up his pedigree with a modest portfolio of buildings ranging from houses to auditoriums, and he prides himself on the artistry of the buildings. In addition to his masonry, Ryan also pursues street art under a recognizable tag. He uses darker shades of green, black, brown, and blue in his graffiti, with intermittent color. He sees street art as beauty, not destruction, revitalizing what he considers otherwise unattractive stone buildings and urban architecture. The connection between this art and his masonry is a wellguarded secret known to very few. If Ryan thinks a construction is ugly, he works to gradually undermine it. He feeds rarely, but feasts when he does. Ryan doesn’t remember much of his childhood. He knows that he used to suffer from hard drug addiction in his early teen years, and suspects this affected his memory. After his involuntary commitment and treatment at 16, the social worker told him the drug use started when he reported his father for dogfighting and his parents took him out of school, sedating him with opiates. The state quickly seized him as a ward, but not before the drugs had damaged his developing brain. Ryan’s foster parents supervised him too little to quell his growing drug use and addictions prior to commitment.

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BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

Years later, as a struggling artist, Ryan suffered a Devouring that mirrored his experience chasing the next high. He walked through an abandoned part of town, and everything became dull, with flowers dotting the path in the distance. They grayed and decayed the closer he came, and he felt a looming presence behind him, but every time he turned, he saw what he had just passed. Eventually, Ryan laid on his back, exhausted. The dark mass of his Horror slunk over him, sucking what life remained. Description: Ryan is a white man in his early 30s. He dresses almost exclusively in polo and button down shirts and dark jeans stained with paint and stone dust, smelling of the same. When he needs a suit, he takes an ill-fitted, non-matching one from Neil or Malik. His hair is always a little bit too long and unkempt. He isn’t very aware of his own body; he often collides with people in crowded areas. Ryan’s Horror is a shadowformed mass of crumbled soot and dirt that rots everything in its presence. His Lair is dark

and grim, filled with flowers that decompose with proximity to any life. The blood that now seeps from the ground (courtesy of the connection to Neil’s Lair) is too anemic to contribute. Roleplaying Hints: Ryan does not like to commit, and the others cannot rely on him to keep a plan. The last thing he successfully committed to was getting clean of his drug use, which is still a battle he fights every day. He’s most likely to maintain a schedule when hired for a job, or when the brood is relying on him. On some level, Ryan is aware of his difficulties with time management and executive functions, and suspects that the drug use in his youth may have done more long-term damage than he’s aware. He wonders, then, whether it affected his Horror, and what that might mean as the Horror grows more powerful. Aspirations: Long Term: To set up a storefront. Short Term: To tag City Hall.

RYAN GALLAGHER

9

Legend: Enigmatic Life: Appreciative Concept: Working Artist

Name: Ryan Gallagher Player: Chronicle:

Family: Eshmaki Hunger: Ruin Horror: Rotting Debris

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

● OOOOO

Strength

●●● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

Resolve

●●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________OOOOO Computer_________OOOOO Masonry, Street Art OOOOO Crafts____________ ●● Investigation______● OOOOO Medicine_________OOOOO Occult ___________●● OOOOO Politics___________ OOOOO Science__________ OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________● OOOOO Brawl____________● ●● OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________● OOOOO Larceny__________●● OOOOO Urban Cover Stealth___________ ● ●● OOOOO Survival__________● OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Empathy_________OOOOO Expression________● OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Socialize_________●● OOOOO Streetwise________ ●● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Barfly _________________ ●● OOOOO Demolisher _________________ ●● OOOOO Fame _________________ ●● OOOOO Fist of Nightmares _________________ OOOOO ●● Iron Skin _________________ OOOOO ● ●

_________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

atavisms

From the Shadows ______________________ Shadowed Soul ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

nightmares

You Are Alone ______________________ Fear is Contagious ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

health ●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

satiety condition ______________________

conditions

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

aspirations

Set up a storefront (LT) ______________________ Tag city hall (ST) ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 5 11 Size:______ Speed:______ 4 2B Defense:____ Armor:______ 5 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      Experiences:_____________

Legend: Enigmatic Life: Appreciative Concept: Working Artist

Name: Ryan Gallagher Player: Chronicle:

Family: Eshmaki Hunger: Ruin Horror: Rotting Debris

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

● OOOOO

Strength

●●● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

Resolve

●●● OOOOO

Stamina

●●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________OOOOO Computer_________OOOOO Masonry, Street Art OOOOO Crafts____________ ●● Investigation______● OOOOO Medicine_________OOOOO Occult ___________●● OOOOO Politics___________ OOOOO Science__________ OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________● OOOOO Brawl____________● ●● OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________● OOOOO Larceny__________●● OOOOO Urban Cover Stealth___________ ● ●● OOOOO Survival__________● OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Empathy_________OOOOO Expression________● OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Socialize_________●● OOOOO Streetwise________ ●●● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Barfly _________________ ●● OOOOO Demolisher _________________ ●● OOOOO Fame _________________ ●● OOOOO Fist of Nightmares _________________ OOOOO ●● Iron Skin _________________ OOOOO ● ●

_________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

health ●●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

atavisms

satiety condition

______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

From the Shadows ______________________ Shadowed Soul ______________________ Basilisk's Touch ______________________ Limb From Limb ______________________

nightmares

You Are Alone ______________________ Fear is Contagious ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

______________________

conditions

aspirations

Set up a storefront (LT) ______________________ Tag city hall (ST) ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 5 11 Size:______ Speed:______ 4 2B Defense:____ Armor:______ 5 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      13 Experiences:_____________

“The doctor will be here in just a minute. I’m gonna check your blood pressure and ask a few questions.” “I’ll see what I can get you. I snagged some Roxy.” “Call me when you’re about to leave school. I have some errands to run.” Legend: Sadistic. Maia lashes out almost compulsively. If anyone acts counter to her expectations, if they hurt someone she loves, or if her Horror is just feeling hungry, they should watch their backs. Life: Protective. If harm befalls someone dear to Maia, she panics, pulling the injured loved one close, sometimes suffocating them in the process. Background: Maia never particularly thrived in school. She kept her grades high enough to compete with the swim team, but sailed through with a solid B average, most of her excellence coming via swimming. She had asthma as a child that her parents treated with an inhaler and by encouraging her athletically. They encouraged her out of the water as well, but she never enjoyed tennis, basketball, or any of the other sports they made her try. Her asthma only ever felt better in the water, head submerged or not. At nine years old, Maia first noticed her attraction to other girls. She was quiet as a child, and just never participated in her female classmates’ conversations on their male crushes, worried about the ridicule. During middle school, she developed a crush on one of her teammates. One night, when Maia didn’t even realize she’d fallen asleep, she dreamed a girl her age swam backwards in the water, luring her closer and kissing her before pulling her down. The next day, Maia feigned an illness and stayed home from school, but the next week, when her crush turned down an offer to go to the beach alone, Maia shoved her into a metal locker in the changing room, helping her up with enough shock that the coach believed it an accident. When the team left the locker room, Maia hid in

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BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

the bathroom, licking a slick of the girl’s blood that had dried to the side of her palm. Maia’s Devouring happened very young, and she kept quiet about her heritage through her youth. She fed her Horror carefully over the years, avoiding the notice of other Beasts and other Kin, never joining a brood until she met Hannah Short. Now, Maia works as a physician’s assistant at the same hospital as Hannah. She also steals anxiety and pain medication to distribute among eager clients, a habit she began by raiding her parents’ own medicine cabinet in high school. The bartering provided her with better school papers than she could have ever written, and, now, disposable income. If a client threatens her, harasses her, or tries to expose her, the side business provides prey, as well. Description: Maia is 21 years old. She is white, with dark brown hair that she holds back with headbands or loose side ponytails, depending on the day. She has blue eyes. Maia always seems to smell of water. In the city or at work, this is interpreted as chlorine, while on the beach or at the boardwalk, salt and brine. She is clumsy on land, and frequently trips on benches or raised pavement markers. She wears long skirts and dresses most often in shades of blue, green, and purple; she gets a certain thrill out of having the overt display of her nature misunderstood by nearly everyone.

Her Horror is longer and thinner than Maia herself, with a green-black tail that propels her forward in the water, and her chest is wrapped in seaweed. Her hair takes on a teal, green, and purple shifting sheen like oil in a puddle. When she smiles, razor sharp teeth, sometimes still coated in blood, give her away. Her Lair is a deep pit of water, with dim light streaming down into the depths, playing tricks on the eyes and casting odd shadows. Since joining the brood, rivulets of blood trickle into the water as well. Roleplaying Hints: Maia’s closest relationship is not to the other Beasts in her brood, but to Annika White, the changeling girl she found outside on a winter day. They have known each other longer than Maia has known any of the others in her brood, and she considers Annika family just as much as her Begotten brothers and sisters. Regardless of the situation, Maia sides with Annika in intrafamilial conflict. Maia loves Hannah, who brought her into the brood and whom she’s been dating for two years. She doesn’t piece Hannah’s manipulation of her together, seeing every incident as isolated. The rest of the brood and Annika do not know she sells pills. Maia flirts with other women, but has never cheated. Aspirations: Long Term: Be accepted to nursing school. Short Term: Be taken seriously at Annika’s parent-teacher conferences.

MAIA GRAHAM

13

Legend: Sadistic Life: Protective Concept: Young Guardian

Name: Maia Graham Player: Chronicle:

Family: Makara Hunger: Prey Horror: Oily Sea Monster

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Strength

● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

Resolve

●●● OOOOO

Stamina

●●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________● OOOOO Computer_________OOOOO Crafts____________ OOOOO Investigation______OOOOO Triage Medicine_________ ● ● OOOOO Changelings Occult ___________ ●● OOOOO Politics___________ OOOOO Science__________ OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________●●● OOOOO Brawl____________● ● OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________● OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Empathy_________●●● OOOOO Expression________●● OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Small Talk Socialize_________ ●●● OOOOO Streetwise________ ● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Alternate Identity _________________ ●●● OOOOO Barfly _________________ ●● OOOOO Direction Sense _________________ ● OOOOO Guilty Pleasure (Blood) ● _________________ OOOOO Resources _________________ OOOOO ● Status (Medical) _________________ OOOOO ● Striking Looks _________________ OOOOO ●

health ●●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●● 

lair

_________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

OOOOOOOOOO ●

atavisms

satiety condition

Alien Allure ______________________ Heart of the Ocean ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

nightmares

Behold! My True Form ______________________ You Are Lost ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

Annika ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

______________________

conditions

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

aspirations

Get into nursing school (LT) ______________________ Be taken seriously at Annika's ______________________ parent-teacher conference (ST) ______________________ ______________________ 5 8 Size:______ Speed:______ 5 Defense:____ Armor:______ 5 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      Experiences:_____________

Legend: Sadistic Life: Protective Concept: Young Guardian

Name: Maia Graham Player: Chronicle:

Family: Makara Hunger: Prey Horror: Oily Sea Monster

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Strength

● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

Resolve

●●● OOOOO

Stamina

●●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________●● OOOOO Computer_________OOOOO Crafts____________ OOOOO Investigation______OOOOO Triage Medicine_________ ● ● OOOOO Changelings Occult ___________ ●● OOOOO Politics___________ OOOOO Science__________ OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________●●● OOOOO Brawl____________● ● OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________● OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Empathy_________●●● OOOOO Expression________●● OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Small Talk Socialize_________ ●●● OOOOO Streetwise________ ● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Alternate Identity _________________ ●●● OOOOO Barfly _________________ ●● OOOOO Direction Sense _________________ ● OOOOO Guilty Pleasure (Blood) ● _________________ OOOOO Resources _________________ OOOOO ● ● Status (Medical) _________________ OOOOO ● Striking Looks _________________ OOOOO ●

health ●●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●● 

lair

_________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

OOOOOOOOOO ●●

atavisms

satiety condition

______________________ ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Alien Allure ______________________ Heart of the Ocean ______________________ Siren's Treacherous Song ______________________

nightmares

Behold! My True Form ______________________ You Are Lost ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

Annika ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

______________________

conditions

aspirations

Get into nursing school (LT) ______________________ Be taken seriously at Annika's ______________________ parent-teacher conference (ST) ______________________ ______________________ 5 8 Size:______ Speed:______ 5 Defense:____ Armor:______ 5 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      13 Experiences:_____________

“Don’t you worry; we’ll take good care of you. Just lie on back, it’ll be just like we discussed.” “That never happened. I’m trying to help you; why do you always give me shit like I’m trying to hurt?” “You need to handle these mood swings, because I can’t.” Legend: Ambitious. Hannah likes being on top. She is willing to do close to whatever is necessary to get on top and stay there, and only cares about a select group of people who may be harmed in the process. She is often prone to displays of power even against those she loves. Life: Comforting. Hannah succors her patients. Her bedside manner helps those reliant on her, and extends to those she cares about in her personal life. Background: Hannah is a member of the Alaskan Tlingit’s Lukaaxadi Clan. Her parents, both First Nation, did not teach her any Yup’ik languages as a child and, in spite of attempts on the part of her grandparents to teach her, she did not learn much from them, either. Hannah did not spend any of her childhood living with the tribe, only joining for ceremonies and for celebrations of Tlingit culture. Her childhood in Alaska was suburban. She was never the only Hannah in her class (her Tlingit name is Asaaluk, but she only uses this name ceremonially), and stood out in her friend group only through her grades and an early interest in medicine. She left Alaska to obtain her MD, and didn’t return for years. A year into her work as an ophthalmologist, Hannah dreamed she performed an ocular surgery on herself, and watched from a distance. While she recognized that she was, at once, both the screaming patient and the spindly operator with impossibly sagging skin, this realization only really clicked when she woke up. Now, more than ever, Hannah likes being in control. She never wants to be on that table again. Description: Hannah is Alaskan Native. She has a port-wine stain that stretches from below her left eye down by the side of her nose, bisects her lip, and wraps back up along her left jawline. In the first and second year of her residency, she tried to cover the sanitary, hospital smell with other perfumes when not in surgery, but now she embraces it. Her movements are very controlled, and she tends to focus straight ahead and draw little attention in her daily life. She always

16

BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

dresses for work, with a white lab coat and her instruments the only additional clothing she wears while on the job. Hannah’s Horror is a lanky, hairless creature with scalpels on the edge of spindly fingers. Skin clings like rubber to its body, and droops from bones at the face and a long, thin neck. Her Lair smells of formaldehyde, and the chamber is dark, with a floor made of eyes of varying size and color. Roleplaying Hints: The older Hannah gets, the more she cares about her indigenous heritage. Still, away from the tribe and with little exposure in her youth, she finds it difficult to negotiate Tlingit culture after her years of assimilation. She is a member of the tribe and returns, when possible, for important ceremonies, but otherwise, she rarely speaks of it except for with those to whom she’s closest. While this is sometimes her girlfriend, Maia, it is more frequently Neil, whom she respects and feels no need to manipulate. Still, Hannah and Neil bicker over who has the right to lead the brood. While they both agree it should be one of them, and try to trade off depending on the situation, the others do not accept this blindly.

Hannah cares for Maia, but not enough to keep from manipulating her and exerting control. So far, that manipulation has never gotten severe enough for the brood to take serious notice. Hannah cheated in a previous relationship. Notes: Full rules for the Professional Training Merit appear in the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook (p. 46). The first three dots are as follows: Networking •: Hannah has two dots of Contacts relating to her field. Continuing Education ••: When making a roll with her Asset Skills, she benefits from the 9-again quality. Breadth of Knowledge •••: Due to advancement in her field, she’s picked up a number of particular bits of information and skill unique to her work. Dr. Short’s Asset Skills are Medicine, Empathy, and Persuasion, and they are marked (*) on her character sheet. Aspirations: Long Term: Get an award from the American Medical Association. Short Term: Take Maia on a date and try to smooth over the last fight.

DR. HANNAH SHORT

17

Family: Namtaru Legend: Ambitious Hunger: Power Life: Comforting Concept: Manipulative Physician Horror: Scalpel-Finger

Name: Dr. Hannah Short Player: Chronicle:

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Strength

● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●●● OOOOO

Resolve

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________●●● OOOOO Computer_________OOOOO Crafts____________ ● OOOOO Investigation______● OOOOO Surgery * Medicine_________ ● ●● OOOOO Occult ___________●● OOOOO Politics___________ ● OOOOO Science__________ ● OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive____________●● OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ ● OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Patients * Empathy_________ OOOOO ●● Expression________OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Emotional Manipulation * Persuasion________ ●● OOOOO Socialize_________● OOOOO Streetwise________ OOOOO Subterfuge________ ●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

other traits merits

health

_________________ Professional Training _________________ ●●● OOOOO Resources _________________ ●● OOOOO Status (Medical) _________________ OOOOO ●●● Sympathetic _________________ OOOOO ● ● _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

atavisms

satiety condition

Contacts (Doctors, Drug Reps) ●● OOOOO

Basilisk's Touch ______________________ Heart of the Ocean ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

nightmares

Everything You Do is Worthless ______________________ You Cannot Run ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

______________________

conditions

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

aspirations

Get an award from the AMA (LT) ______________________ Smooth over last fight with Maia (ST) ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 5 9 Size:______ Speed:______ 2 Defense:____ Armor:______ 6 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      Experiences:_____________

Family: Namtaru Legend: Ambitious Hunger: Power Life: Comforting Concept: Manipulative Physician Horror: Scalpel-Finger

Name: Dr. Hannah Short Player: Chronicle:

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Strength

● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●●● OOOOO

Resolve

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________●●● OOOOO Computer_________OOOOO Crafts____________ ● OOOOO Investigation______● OOOOO Surgery * Medicine_________ ● ●● OOOOO Occult ___________●● OOOOO Politics___________ ● OOOOO Science__________ ● OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive____________●● OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ ● OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______OOOOO Patients * Empathy_________ OOOOO ●●● Expression________OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Emotional Manipulation * Persuasion________ ●● OOOOO Socialize_________● OOOOO Streetwise________ OOOOO Subterfuge________ ●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

other traits merits

health

_________________ Professional Training _________________ ●●● OOOOO Resources _________________ ●● OOOOO Status (Medical) _________________ OOOOO ●●● Sympathetic _________________ OOOOO ● ● _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

atavisms

satiety condition

______________________ ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Contacts (Doctors, Drug Reps) ●● OOOOO

Basilisk's Touch ______________________ Heart of the Ocean ______________________ Unbreakable ______________________

nightmares

Everything You Do is Worthless ______________________ You Cannot Run ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

______________________

conditions

aspirations

Get an award from the AMA (LT) ______________________ Smooth over last fight with Maia (ST) ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 5 9 Size:______ Speed:______ 2 3/2 Defense:____ Armor:______ 6 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      10 Experiences:_____________

“Don’t directly confront. Be straightforward, but don’t make a scene.” “Hi. Can you answer a few questions for me, ma’am?” “I’ll do what I can. And don’t worry, I’ll let you know when you can help me later.” Legend: Dominant. When Malik comes in a room, everyone notices. Everything from his demeanor to his speech demands others pay attention. Life: Patient. Malik is willing and able to bide his time. He waits as long as is necessary to act, regardless of circumstance, and prefers to think and plan before he responds to a problem. Background: Malik does not want to be caught. Growing up as a young black man, Malik feared being a target for nothing. His Devouring saw him chased through a vacant set of streets, scoped by a floodlight from nowhere every time he thought himself concealed. The light came closer and closer each time, and then swallowed him. Malik made his way through college on a combination of tact, social knowhow, and luck. Never particularly book smart, he quickly learned how to appeal to all of his professors’ sensibilities, rather than succeeding off content. Malik started working for the field teams of various political campaigns, visiting houses and making calls to generate votes. Then, he worked as an opposition tracker for a senator’s political campaign. He operated through an alternate identity, by the name of Todd Dellman, to penetrate the opposing candidate’s circle and record slipups as a spy for the candidate who employed him. He went undetected and then used the same

20

BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

alias to break a governor’s reelection bid. After that campaign, a consultant on the now-former governor’s staff investigated Malik and exposed his alias and his real identity, but this also established him in the campaign world. Now, Malik follows candidates less frequently and with his own name when he does. Malik is highly sought after by both parties for the information he’s stored over the years, not all of which he shares with those who employ him — he always hoards some information for himself. Recently, Malik learned Annika’s parents were happy with their new daughter, the fetch, and told her they had moved. Her staying with the brood was for the best, after all. None of the other brood members know this; Malik feels (probably correctly) that they wouldn’t approve. Description: Malik’s work is stressful. While he makes sure to iron his clothes, he gave up on trying to slow his gray hairs, which first grew during the gubernatorial race and now moderately sprinkle his head. Malik’s cologne is crisp, like freshly-washed linen.

Malik’s Lair is a completely empty, concrete scape that reflects all sound, making it easy for him to swoop down and attack. His Horror floats towards prey, a moving shadow with sharp edges that absorbs anything and anyone that crosses its path. The true terror comes from looking into the shadow, the result a feeling of dread that it knows a target more intimately and thoroughly than he could ever know himself. Roleplaying Hints: Malik allows Neil and Hannah to believe they’re in charge. His career demands much of him, and he doesn’t have time to handle the nitty gritty arrangements of taking Annika to meet with the Spring Court or paying an internet bill. He sees nothing wrong with letting Neil or Hannah handle that type of duty and call themselves the leaders. On average, Malik listens and absorbs more than he speaks. He has no trouble lying if he believes the truth will hurt someone, as he did when he discovered the truth about Annika’s fetch. Aspirations: Long Term: Get his current candidate elected. Short Term: Discover a secret about the opposing candidate to keep for himself.

Malik Turner

21

Family: Ugallu Legend: Dominant Hunger: Hoard Life: Patient Concept: Shrewd Campaigner Horror: Edged Shadow

Name: Malik Turner Player: Chronicle:

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●●● OOOOO

Resolve

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________OOOOO Computer_________●● OOOOO Crafts____________ OOOOO Investigation______●● OOOOO Medicine_________OOOOO Occult ___________● OOOOO Local Campaigns Politics___________ ● ●● OOOOO Science__________ OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________● OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________● ● OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______● OOOOO Detecting Lies Empathy_________ OOOOO ●●● Expression________OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Persuasion________● OOOOO Penetrating Groups ●● Socialize_________ OOOOO Streetwise________ ● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ●●● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Barfly _________________ ●● OOOOO Contacts (Political) _________________ ● OOOOO Fame _________________ ● OOOOO Fast-Talking _________________ OOOOO ● Patient _________________ OOOOO ● Resources _________________ OOOOO ● Spoor _________________ OOOOO ● ● Striking Looks _________________ OOOOO ●

_________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

atavisms

Eye of Heaven ______________________ Needs Must ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

nightmares

Behold! My True Form ______________________ They Are All Around Us ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

health ●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

satiety condition ______________________

conditions

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

aspirations

Get his current candidate elected (LT) ______________________ Discover a secret about the candidate ______________________ to keep to himself (ST) ______________________ ______________________

5 9 Size:______ Speed:______ 2 Defense:____ Armor:______ 4 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      Experiences:_____________

Family: Ugallu Legend: Dominant Hunger: Hoard Life: Patient Concept: Shrewd Campaigner Horror: Edged Shadow

Name: Malik Turner Player: Chronicle:

attributes Power

Finesse Resistance

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

Wits

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●●● OOOOO

Resolve

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

skills mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics________● OOOOO Computer_________●● OOOOO Crafts____________ ● OOOOO Investigation______●● OOOOO Medicine_________OOOOO Occult ___________●● OOOOO Local Campaigns Politics___________ ● ●● OOOOO Science__________ OOOOO

physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics_________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________● OOOOO Larceny__________● OOOOO Stealth___________● ● OOOOO Survival__________OOOOO Weaponry_________ OOOOO

social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_______● OOOOO Detecting Lies Empathy_________ OOOOO ●●● Expression________OOOOO Intimidation________ OOOOO Persuasion________●●● OOOOO Penetrating Groups ●● Socialize_________ OOOOO Streetwise________ ● OOOOO Subterfuge________ ●●● OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

other traits merits

Barfly _________________ ●● OOOOO Contacts (Political) _________________ ● OOOOO Fame _________________ ● OOOOO Fast-Talking _________________ OOOOO ● Patient _________________ OOOOO ● Resources _________________ OOOOO ● Spoor _________________ OOOOO ● ● Striking Looks _________________ OOOOO ●

_________________ OOOOO _________________ OOOOO

atavisms

Eye of Heaven ______________________ Needs Must ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

nightmares

Behold! My True Form ______________________ They Are All Around Us ______________________ We Know All Your Secrets ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

family Ties

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

health ●●●●●●● OOOOOOOOOOOO 

willpower OOOOOOOOOO ●●●● 

lair OOOOOOOOOO ●

satiety

OOOOOOOOOO

satiety condition ______________________

conditions

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

aspirations

Get his current candidate elected (LT) ______________________ Discover a secret about the candidate ______________________ to keep to himself (ST) ______________________ ______________________

5 9 Size:______ Speed:______ 2 Defense:____ Armor:______ 4 Initiative Mod:____________ Beats:      13 Experiences:_____________

Annika White “No, I told you, I have a meeting tonight with the court. I can take the bus, it’s fine.” “I called. I texted, too. See? Right here.” “It’s been too hot. Can I go to a rink tomorrow after school?” Virtue: Trusting. Annika believes that all will be well when she is with the brood. She doesn’t doubt Maia’s commitment to her, and excels at school. Even when she witnesses conflict among the brood, she defaults to her faith that it will be right in the end. Vice: Greedy. Annika’s parents spoiled her, and Maia, with all of her protectiveness, does the same. She has very little control when asking for what she wants, and almost always gets it. Background: Annika doesn’t like to run. In Arcadia, she served as a decorative defense in the dark, frozen cave at the front of her Keeper’s palace. One day, after what seemed like years of hanging, moving only to fall atop an intruder and crush them in powdery snow, Annika fell from the wall, tumbling along the snowcapped mountains until she emerged in the Hedge. She ran and ran and didn’t stop until she thought she was safe, though the park seemed similar to the Thorns at first. The benches, the footprints, they were just different enough to convince her she was out of that place. She didn’t run anymore. Before her abduction to Arcadia at age five, Annika’s name was Avery Wyatt. She remembers dance and gymnastics and her best friend Morgan from kindergarten, but most of her other memories have faded. In her first two weeks back from Arcadia, during the year in which she would have turned 14, she hid, alone, in a park, with no human contact. She had no guidance as to what life as a changeling would mean, and no contact with any of the courts. Maia Graham found her hidden behind a snowcovered tree and coaxed her out. The Spring Court was skeptical of the Beast’s proffered help, but took Avery in, explained what she had been through to the best of their ability, and helped to set her up under the new name

24

Beast Ready Made Characters

of Annika White. It took Annika a while to convince anyone to help her track down her family, but Malik Turner agreed a year into Annika’s residence with Maia. Annika’s paperwork reflects this relationship; her name is officially Annika Graham. She is now 16 years old. Description: Annika’s mien is powdered snow packed in the shape of her bone structure, hair transparent save when the light hits at just the right angles to reflect powder blue, orchid, and violet. Her eyes darken from her mask’s gray to a cornflower blue. She smells of impending snow and crystallized water. When displaying her mask, Annika’s skin is white. She frequently wears her white-blond hair in a braid over one shoulder, and sometimes still weaves an aqua ribbon in like she did when she was younger. Her mask emanates the same snowy smell. Her movements, while precise,

are not robotic. She seems to glide over surfaces, footsteps barely heard. Roleplaying Hints: She vacillates between time with the brood and the court, but always seems to return home to Maia, who insists on knowing where Annika is at all times for her own protection. Since those first two weeks, Annika has lived a relatively sheltered life compared to that of many young changelings. She has come to see Maia as her sister, more so since Malik’s bittersweet lie that her parents moved across the Atlantic Ocean after her abduction. Annika is best described as sweet. She doesn’t like to see anyone cry, and tends to friends or strangers in moments of need. Aspirations: Long Term: Spend more time with other changelings at the court. Short Term: Go ice skating with Maia.

Annika White

25

Name: Annika White Player: Chronicle:

Virtue: Trusting

Seeming: Elemental

Concept: Recovered Student

Court: Spring

Vice: Greedy

Kith: Snowskin

Attributes POWER

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Strength

● OOOOO

Presence

●●●● OOOOO

FINESSE

Wits

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation

● OOOOO

Resolve

●●● OOOOO

Stamina

● ●● OOOOO

Composure

● ● OOOOO

RESISTANCE

Skills Mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics ________● OOOOO Computer_________● OOOOO Crafts___________●● OOOOO Investigation _______OOOOO Medicine _________● OOOOO Occult ___________● OOOOO Politics___________ OOOOO Science___________● OOOOO Physical (-1 unskilled)

Ice Skating, Gymnastics Athletics_________ OOOOO ●●● Brawl___________OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________ OOOOO Stealth___________OOOOO Survival___________ OOOOO ● Weaponry_________ OOOOO

Social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken________ OOOOO ●●● Empathy_________● ●● OOOOO Expression_________ ● ●● OOOOO Intimidation_______OOOOO Persuasion_________ OOOOO Socialize___________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise_________OOOOO Subterfuge_________ OOOOO

Other Traits Contracts

Dream _______________ OOOOO ● Elements _______________ ● OOOOO Mirror _______________ ● OOOOO Smoke _______________ OOOOO ● _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO

Merits

Alternate Identity _______________ OOOOO ●●● Mantle _______________ ● OOOOO Striking Looks _______________ ● ● OOOOO Sympathetic _______________ ●● OOOOO True Friend _______________ OOOOO ●●● _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO

Conditions Family Ties ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Health OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●●●  Willpower ●●●●● OOOOOOOOOO  Wyrd ● OOOOOOOOOO Glamour  ■■■■■■■■■■  Clarity

10______________O 9______________ O 8______________ O 7______________● O 6______________● O 5______________● O 4______________● O 3______________● O 2______________● O 1______________● O Entitlement:

________________________ ________________________ ________________________ 5 Size:____________________ 8 Speed:___________________ 5 Defense:__________________ Armor:__________________ 4 Initiative Mod:______________ Experience:________________

Attributes 5/4/3•Skills 11/7/4 (+3 Specialties) • Seeming: Choose 1 free Skill Specialty in Athletics, Brawl or Stealth; Record Blessing and Curse • Contracts 5 dots • Merits 7 • (Buying the fifth dot in Attributes, Skills or Merits costs two points) • Health = Stamina + Size • Willpower = Resolve + Composure • Size = 5 for adult human-sized • Defense = Lowest of Dexterity or Wits • Initiative Mod = Dexterity + Composure • Speed = Strength + Dexterity + 5 • Starting Clarity = 7 • Wyrd starts at 1 dot • Glamour starts at 1/2 maximum (determined by Wyrd).

Name: Annika White Player: Chronicle:

Virtue: Trusting

Seeming: Elemental

Concept: Recovered Student

Court: Spring

Vice: Greedy

Kith: Snowskin

Attributes POWER

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Strength

● OOOOO

Presence

●●●● OOOOO

FINESSE

Wits

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation

● OOOOO

Resolve

●●● OOOOO

Stamina

● ●● OOOOO

Composure

● ● OOOOO

RESISTANCE

Skills Mental (-3 unskilled)

Academics ________● OOOOO Computer_________● OOOOO Crafts___________●● OOOOO Investigation _______OOOOO Medicine _________● OOOOO Occult ___________● OOOOO Politics___________ OOOOO Science___________● OOOOO Psychology

Physical (-1 unskilled)

Ice Skating, Gymnastics Athletics_________ OOOOO ●●● Brawl___________OOOOO Drive____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________ OOOOO Stealth___________OOOOO Survival___________ OOOOO ● Weaponry_________ OOOOO

Social (-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken________ OOOOO ●●● Empathy_________● ●● OOOOO Expression_________ ● ●● OOOOO Intimidation_______OOOOO Persuasion_________ OOOOO ● Socialize___________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise_________OOOOO Subterfuge_________ OOOOO ●

Other Traits Contracts

Dream _______________ OOOOO ● Elements _______________ ● OOOOO Mirror _______________ ● OOOOO Smoke _______________ OOOOO ● _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO

Merits

Alternate Identity _______________ OOOOO ●●● Mantle _______________ ● OOOOO Striking Looks _______________ ● ● OOOOO Sympathetic _______________ ●● OOOOO True Friend _______________ OOOOO ●●● _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO _______________OOOOO

Conditions Family Ties ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Health OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●●●  Willpower ●●●●● OOOOOOOOOO  Wyrd ●● OOOOOOOOOO Glamour  ■■■■■■■■■■  Clarity

10______________O 9______________ O 8______________ O 7______________● O 6______________● O 5______________● O 4______________● O 3______________● O 2______________● O 1______________● O Entitlement:

________________________ ________________________ ________________________ 5 Size:____________________ 8 Speed:___________________ 5 Defense:__________________ Armor:__________________ 4 Initiative Mod:______________ 10 Experience:________________

Attributes 5/4/3•Skills 11/7/4 (+3 Specialties) • Seeming: Choose 1 free Skill Specialty in Athletics, Brawl or Stealth; Record Blessing and Curse • Contracts 5 dots • Merits 7 • (Buying the fifth dot in Attributes, Skills or Merits costs two points) • Health = Stamina + Size • Willpower = Resolve + Composure • Size = 5 for adult human-sized • Defense = Lowest of Dexterity or Wits • Initiative Mod = Dexterity + Composure • Speed = Strength + Dexterity + 5 • Starting Clarity = 7 • Wyrd starts at 1 dot • Glamour starts at 1/2 maximum (determined by Wyrd).

STORYTELLER ADVICE The members of the Bloodstained Brood share their supernatural lives, but focus on their human ones. They come together for mutual support, but they keep secrets. In many ways, they’re just like any other family. Running a chronicle focused on these characters, therefore, should highlight their close connection with the mundane world as well as the strain that their supernatural responsibilities place on them. Consider the following as themes for chronicles and stories involving the brood:

The Chronicles of Darkness Maia and Neil frequently interact with the changeling courts because of Annika’s presence. If Annika expresses a desire to spend more time with others of her kind, how will the group respond? We examine this further in a story hook below. The Lost are the only other supernatural beings for whom contact with the Bloodstained Brood is “baked in,” but the Storyteller definitely has other options. The themes of blood and bloodstains run through all of the members of the brood; all of them have witnessed or committed violence. The ghosts of their previous victims or loved ones might draw the attention of Sin-Eaters. Their bloody resonance might make them interesting to vampires. Simply being supernatural at all makes the brood an irresistible mystery to the Awakened. As always, the Storyteller should check with the players and determine what kinds of supporting cast would be acceptable and interesting.

Relationship with the Apex The Apex for the region in which the Bloodstained Brood lives isn’t described here, because it’s so fundamental to a Beast chronicle that it’s really best left to the troupe and the Storyteller to decide. One of these characters might very well be the Apex of the region. Given the strained relationship between Hannah and Neil over leadership of the brood, an interesting story might begin with the current Apex disappearing and either of those characters becoming the new one. Or, if you want to shake things up in a different way, maybe Malik becomes the Apex. This is especially appropriate if the story takes place around an election and Malik is making his presence felt in subtle but important ways.

Squabbles Among Siblings As mentioned, the Bloodstained are a family, with all of the tension, history, and potential conflict that implies. Consider these points:

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BEAST READY MADE CHARACTERS

• Does the brood ever physically fight, or do they limit their squabbling to social manipulations? Neil and Hannah actively disapprove of Ryan’s unpredictability. Malik, who lives with Ryan, is used to it. Does Ryan ever snap at Hannah and Neil for calling him out? Does Ryan feel ashamed of his difficulties with memory and executive functioning? • Hannah and Maia maintain a romantic, sexual relationship in addition to their brood bond. Consider how their relationship may affect the group dynamic, especially when a broodmate like Neil actively disapproves of their age gap and Hannah’s emotional and sexual manipulation of Maia. • Annika struggles to balance her life as a changeling with her support system from the brood. Maybe she clicks with another changeling, and wants to join a motley or participate more in court politics. Maybe she resents Maia’s possessiveness or the inherent control Neil holds over her as principal, and acts out more the closer she gets to adulthood. What changes in Annika’s life when she’s attending high school or, in a more experienced chronicle, in her college years or in early adulthood? Does she work more with the brood, or do they part ways? Does Annika settle for her relationship with Maia and the brood, or does she want to forge external relationships on her own? What happens if Maia reacts to Annika expressing a want to interact more with other changelings by turning her sadistic protectiveness into emotional abuse?

Story Suggestions: The Brood The brood as presented has obvious areas to explore for story hooks. Here, we have provided some examples across the spectrum, with different degrees of focus on the brood: • An agent of Annika’s Keeper comes looking for her. As beings deeply aware of the nature of fear, the Beasts face something even more strange and alien than themselves. Can the brood determine the cost of keeping Annika? Is it worth it? How does a disagreement affect the dynamic of the brood? How much should they rely on the courts, or other changelings? • Cheiron Group drugs suddenly become more prevalent in the hospital. Unbeknownst to Hannah and Maia, the company has noticed them, perhaps because of Maia’s

habit of stealing pharmaceuticals. Following the two Beasts exposes the rest of the brood as well. The pharmaceutical company maintains a presence in the hospital, and is sanctioned by the hospital staff at that. Who in the hospital administration let them begin their work there? Does this official know of Hannah or Maia’s true nature? Can the brood protect itself, or do they ask for help? If so, from whom? What if Maia inadvertently steals and sells some of the drugs — what effect might that have on the populace? Perhaps that was Cheiron’s plan all along. • Mysterium mages offer something to the brood in exchange for information or exposure to their pockets of the Primordial Dream. Perhaps this is protection from a Hero, or some false threat, but how does the brood respond? Did they seek the mages out for assistance? Were they aware of the threat? If the threat isn’t real, do they ever learn of its fabrication and, if so, how do they respond? Are the mages independent, like a solo cabal in a region without a Consilium, or where the Consilium allows cabals more free rein, or is this by order of the Consilium? How do the Beasts negotiate their need for protection with vulnerability and indebtedness to a group of willworkers?

Story Suggestions: Individual Characters • Neil: The vice principal of Neil’s school confronts Neil about alleged preferential treatment towards Annika. This might lead to some extremely unsavory accusations toward Neil, but it could also lead to the local authorities looking into Annika’s legal identity, which could be disastrous. Varying levels of attention threaten Neil’s job, as well as the system the brood has set up to live their lives. How does the brood respond? • Ryan: A group of vampires asks Ryan to construct a building that’s completely dark during the day. If someone tampers with the building and a vampire burns, does Ryan become a target? What if an Acanthus mage steals some of Ryan’s artwork, having foreseen its value 20 years from now? Is the brood willing to get entangled in a mage’s affairs enough to challenge the Acanthus, and how do they negotiate this decision when it’s deeply entangled in Ryan’s livelihood?

• Maia: A series of “vampire-style” killings rock the area. The brood might assume that an actual vampire is responsible, but then, Maia hunts people for blood sometimes, too. Other supernatural beings in the area might know this and come asking questions, or Heroes might instinctively zero in on Maia. Other Maia-focused stories might center on her relationship with Hannah, but if Hannah is also a player-controlled character, the Storyteller should discuss making this conflict an important story point with both players. If Hannah is a Storyteller character, then consider how she might respond if Maia decides to enroll in nursing school? Does she lash out or increase her emotional manipulation? Do her past indiscretions come to light? • Hannah: A Hero comes to the ophthalmological ward one day, and Hannah is assigned to her surgery. Perhaps due to Maia’s proximity or perhaps as an oversight, the Hero doesn’t seem to realize Hannah’s true nature, but Hannah recognizes hers. After the surgery, the Hero thanks Hannah, and tells her she’s sure they’ll see more of each other. Is it a threat, or polite and awkward conversation? Can Hannah afford to wait and see? • Malik: Stories centered on Malik may focus on the ramifications of his previous work as a political spy and tracker. Malik’s work in politics makes him the most likely to interact with more organized Kin, such as vampires who supported the governor he helped remove from office. He might have even disrupted the occult matrix of the God-Machine by doing his job — does that mean he has Unchained allies he knows nothing about? • Annika: When Annika’s biological parents, Callie and Warren, and her fetch are on vacation in the brood’s town, they spot her. Maia takes Annika away before Annika’s parents can confront either of them, but her parents still saw her, as did her fetch, who had no idea of her true nature. All three rush through their memories, their experiences, and Callie feels the disturbed Primordial Dream, incensed Warren doesn’t notice any shift. Their daughter was with them, and they saw her daughter. Someone stole their daughter in front of them. Callie won’t rest until she knows more. Similarly, Annika now knows that Malik lied to her about how her parents changed locations and moved on with their lives. How does she react to this encounter?

Storyteller Advice

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Running a one-night game of Beast: The Primordial? Wanting to start up a new chronicle, but your players aren’t sure what to play? Looking for a fast way to dive into one of Onyx Path’s SAS adventures? Beast: The Primordial Ready Made Characters  details “The Bloodstained Brood,” a group of Beasts (and one changeling) that have come together and, in their own brutal way, formed a family. A collection of six player characters for Beast: The Primordial • Six pre-generated player characters, with both starting and experienced character sheets. • A brief break-down the character’s history to help players jump into the group. • Storyteller advice for the group.

Requires the use of the Beast: the Primordial Rulebook